Why Reading Matters (& Why You Should Be Doing It!)

I was very blessed growing up in that my parents (almost) never denied me a book. I looked forward to the Book Fair like nobody’s business. My mom worked at the school, so I even got the teacher discount! My love for reading grew very early, and it’s been something that I’ve cherished as I’ve gotten older.

It always surprises me when people say they don’t read. What do you do with your time? How do you fill the time before bed? What happens when you have an internet outage?

Reading has so many real-life applications too! So, honestly, this is why you should be reading.

1. Interviews

I’ve asked this as an interviewer and been asked as an interviewee: “What is the last book you read?” How many of you can answer that with a book more than something you were assigned to read in high school or college? I personally try to read one fiction book and one non-fiction book at the same time.

It’s also easy to pull from books for lessons or information in an interview as well. We all know that one of the most commonly asked questions is “How would you resolve conflict with a coworker?” What if you could cite a book like Crucial Conversations, and mention how you can implement different tactics for both sides of the conflict? That’s a great way to differentiate yourself from all of the candidates who say “I’d just talk to my coworker directly.”

2. Dating

Honestly, this is kind of how I filter through potential candidates, though I’m sure my mother would tell me that’s the wrong thing to do. However, I dated someone who didn’t read and monopolized my time so much that I couldn’t read. Books are great conversation starters in those weird early dates too.

3. Fill your time with something constructive.

If you’re a human, chances are that you’ve had to wait somewhere. Whether it’s a doctor’s office or for a girlfriend to come hang out, you likely have some dead time. We often will turn to scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. But do you know how many free resources there are for books? Head over to your local library and get yourself a library card. Then, download the Libby or Overdrive app. You can rent ebooks for free from your local library! And, there’s a FREE Kindle app where you can read books right on your phone. BOOM. Use your down time constructively with reading!

4. As an escape.

Yes, this is cliche, but you’d be surprised how easy it can be to forget about stress in your life when you’re engrossed in a great book. Dedicate your mind to something else for a little while.

The more you build reading into your daily life, the more you’ll find yourself missing it. Just give it a try and see how many times you can use what you’ve read and what you’ve learned in your life.

Stay tuned to the blog! I have a great #bookstagram challenge coming in December so we can all share our book love. Don’t forget to follow along on my adventures in reading on Instagram too!

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